ADW Launcher was one of my first introductions into Android customization. For the longest time, it was the cornerstone of my homescreen strategy and I'd spend hours perfecting a setup with icons, colors, widgets, until I'd start again a couple of days later. Heck, one of the first Android roundups I ever wrote (warning: not an AP post) was about customization and had ADW Launcher as the first recommendation.

But then Lollipop came and ADW looked completely out of place with the more modern interface. Apex, Aviate, then Nova became my go-to launchers, and I nearly forgot about ADW until this past June when it got resurrected out of seemingly nowhere as a version 2 beta. I haven't tried ADW Launcher 2 yet, mostly because I'm too busy/lazy to mess with my homescreen setup as much as I used to, but I can tell from the screenshots and video that it has shaped up nicely and fits right at home with Marshmallow and Nougat.

And now ADW Launcher 2 is available publicly for everyone on the Play Store, no beta sign-up required. It has launcher shortcuts for Android 7.1 with limited support going as far back as Android 5.0 (like Nova and a couple of others) and an impressive list features that I'm just going to paste below because I don't want to miss something important:

* Support for Android 7.1 launcher shortcuts (limited support on older versions down to 5.x)
* Added new icons effects section. You can choose image filters and compositions. Awesome.!.
* Dynamic UI coloring using wallpaper colors.
* New way to manage screens. Hold down an empty area of the desktop.
* New way to add widgets and shortcuts.
* New way to change the wallpaper, lock/unlock the desktop or access settings. Hold down an empty area of the desktop and choose the option.
* Added fast scroll app drawer style.
* Added indexed fast scroll app drawer style.
* Added some desktop transitions.
* Added new section to configure icon badges.
* Added a visual mode to configure desktop, icon appearance, folder appearance, and app drawer options.
* Added option to change the top panel/widget.
* Added option to change the content type of bottom panel (dock/widget).
* Added new wrap folder mode to folders. This mode lets you launch the first app in the folder on tap, and show the folder contents on swipe up.
* Added new fast application search in app drawer.
* Improved app categories in app drawer.
* Improved way to manage user gestures.
* Improved way to apply internal and external themes.
* Improved context menu for all desktop objects.
* Added new Custom Widget object. You can add new custom widgets from widget list, import them from friends and other developers, create, edit and share your own.
* Added some initial extensions for the custom widgets (time/battery)
* Check out ADWExtensions pack for more extensions (weather, gmail, etc).
* Added template manager. Remove, add and share templates easily.
* Improved icon properties dialog.
* Improved folder properties dialog.
* Added backup manager in advanced settings/system. Now you can import data from other famous launchers (if you miss one, report back to us so we can include it.)
* Added the possibility to set a secondary action on desktop shortcuts. Swipe up over the desktop shortcut to execute the secondary action.
* Probably 2 or 200 things I’m forgetting…
* A bunch of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff inside.

But as with all changes, it got users disgruntled. Some are annoyed that their old setups haven't carried out to the new version, others are not happy about the new advertisements, many can't find the option to remove the Google search bar, and so on. I do understand some of the decisions there: you couldn't completely redesign a launcher and give it for free to everyone and without breaking some things from the older version. The developer has also been quick to troubleshoot some of the questions, though I think the advertisement issue could have been addressed and implemented better.

However, the most ridiculous complaint, in my opinion, is from users saying ADW Launcher is now ugly. I mean... do they think it was pretty before? Because I'm not sure we're looking at the same thing.

ADW Launcher 2 is free to download and try in the Play Store and if you want to buy the premium IAP, it's down to $1.99 now instead of its regular price of $3.99. We don't know how long the discount will be valid for so make up your mind quickly if you want it.

Following the outcry from users who missed their old setups, AnderWeb has re-released the first version of ADW Launcher on the Play Store. It's under a separate listing called ADW.Launcher One, so you can still grab it and redesign your homescreen like it was prior to the update.

Dunno about him, but as far as I'm concerned: Angry? Maybe. Grumpy? Definitely. You would be too, if you realized most people around you are either brain-dead or bat-$hit crazy, and the few smart people that do exist are self-serving, egomaniacal a**holes.

Đức Thành

This is entirely untrue, at least from my perspective. Firstly people are not so simple as to be able to be divided into two general categories like that, and secondly even if we had to generalize like that my categories would be something like "relatively less rational people" and "relatively more rational people."

Per Hanlon's Razor, "Don't assume bad intentions over neglect and misunderstanding," I think that in most cases people are just incompetent rather than actually mean; not to mention intelligence is a broadly relative concept where no one is truly smart or stupid. Be them the "brain-dead or batshit crazy" or the "few smart but self-serving, egomaniacal assholes" in your words, IMO they're all just not competent enough and if you think they are brain-dead or batshit crazy or self-serving egomaniacal assholes, perhaps you are simply holding them to too high standards.

someone755

Three?

Peter Henkel

Are you triggered by my comment?

someone755

No, I was helping you count.

Portzblitz

I completely disagree. It's not about intelligence. If we were less intelligent as a species we'd be harmless to other denizens here. We'd fit right into the food chain and our just rewards when they are coming to us.

The problem is our NATURE. We're monsters. We're given every opportunity and means to be greater beings, and look how we choose to live, look how we choose to treat one another, the Earth, and animals. No-- only getting rid of the "stupid people" (which i resent, by the way) and we'd just have a bunch of smart assholes running around, busy flirting with disaster.

Used ADW on Android G/I/J/K and I liked it. New version looks cool to me, nice video demo, widget creator looks something unique (not sure how many will use it).

Naga Sridhar

It's funny how Nova launcher was not even present in the list when Rita reviewed before and now its on the top pick among everyone! What a lead it has been now, Nova launcher!!

Jack Sparrow

"We use device identifiers to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic.
We also share such identifiers and other information from your device with our social media, advertizing and analytics partners."

What's with that?

ADofCLE

They get money for your info.

Light

Ads on your homescreen. Pay or stay away. I hope the premium unlock removes the ads.

Travis Nolen

I am using the premium version and haven't seen any ads. Nova is my favorite, but I'm enjoying the different tweaks in ADW thus far

Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !st135c:
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!st135c:
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As a software developer I can really relate to this. There's always someone doing things a completely idiotic round-a-bout way that actually wastes their time and they get upset when you tell them the better approach because OH NO I HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHING.

I like how you can still sideload older launchers on newer devices. Heck, even older Android Market etc

reggjoo

As long as I can setup my launcher to my own look, and manipulate it, as I see fit, whatever idea that I have, works for me. Nova Launcher comes close.

C64

Nova Launcher Prime for life 💪

My name is….

Android Police sucks big time nowadays.
Is it your job to highlight in the title what "users are feeling"?

Is like saying "wow, what a dumbass app, people hate it already"

Would you say "Users are frustrated by pixel's price" in the title?

No you wouldnt, because you are sucking up

WesleySmalls

Actually, it is their job. You know, this is a news site about Androids and Googly stuffs. An app got out of beta, which is news(I assume you know what news is), and together with this event, people are annoyed because of this change, which is a part of this news.

I don't get why the complaint is that emotion is involved in a news article, considering it involves humans. Did you take the name too literal, thinking the writers are actually Androids?

Oh, and your post sucks

My name is….

You are defending AP like you are their lawyer, LMFAO.

Your post is so lame and meaningless.
Do they include bad reactions on Pixel posts? That phone is fucking expensive and users (not AOSP fanboys) are complaining.

Is that in the title? No? Ok.

See what i did there or do you need further explaining??

WesleySmalls

"You are defending AP like you are their lawyer, LMFAO."
Not at all

"Your post is so lame and meaningless. "
Was this supposed to be ironic?

"See what i did there or do you need further explaining??"
Yes, I see. What you did is writing a post that holds absolutely no content whatsoever, complaining about something that is completely non-existent. I am all for criticism, and you seem to hold the belief that you have some great criticism with very solid argumentation, well, you do not.

I suggest you read your post twice before you decide to press the "Post" button

My name is….

What a dumbass

WesleySmalls

Look at the positive side, at least when all our oceans have dried up and there is no more water you wont die from thirst, as you can still drink your tears

ustill812

Nova launcher is the only launcher.

Light

I normally hate to be that guy, but at the current stage of this launcher, Nova is better, as in night and day. I have prime. But for free, if I were to choose between this and Nova, even if this was smoother and had more features, I'd choose nova because I'm telling you the ads on ADW are pretty fucking intruding. Like, you remove the ad icon (it's still in the app drawer anyway), it just respawns in a different spot. You what? Nova is free and it doesn't have that - guess what users are going to use?

They don't work for free, BTW, just want their apps to be. Funny, right?

×XWreckTeamX×

A very good launcher that's fast, smooth, and light on the phone that's on the come up is Evie launcher they just updated the dock and app drawer to be more of a mix of the pixel and their style the only thing missing is being able to customize the folder icons but great launcher everyone should check it out

Travis Nolen

I've been a regular Nova user for years, but decided to try this. I have to say, it's pretty impressive. The icon effects are neat, and not something I've seen before, and the widget maker is very cool. I used it to edit their pixel style widget so it'd open weather timeline when I click the temperature. It's missing one thing that seems odd, which is the ability to change icon sizes in folders. Other than that, it's feature-rich, and worth trying if you're curious or just like trying out new stuff. I've found one bug thus far... When you create a backup, the three dot menu to back it up externally (Google Drive, etc) doesn't function on my G5, unless I switch to landscape mode. Otherwise, I've had no issues.

This is on the paid version, btw. I had survey rewards credits to spare, so I went ahead and paid right after install.

You mention that: "others are not happy about the new advertisements" but I can't see anywhere in the article that you mention the ads? Am I missing something? I'm curious what the fuss is about.

HeyRadar

All I want is a really good basic launcher for my parents. No app drawer, no ability to move icons off the bar or desktop. No weird SMS or dialer integration. No widgets. Just a simple launcher with re-sizable icons.